IN THE STUDIO | Miceli Productions Blog

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, has invited Miceli Productions HD to present the webinar “Video Marketing: How Why and When” June 30th, 2011. 

Presented in collaboration with Caleb Custor of Caleb Custor Arts Marketing (NYC), the webinar will address arts marketers across the performing and fine arts spectrum nationwide.  The webinar is available to the 150,000 organizational and individual members of Americans for the Arts to register and participate.  “Video Marketing: How Why and When” will also be available on-demand at ArtsUSA.org.

Video is the most popular content consumed within arts marketing email and social media campaigns.  The webinar aims to empower arts marketers in music, theatre, dance and fine arts to be better video marketing strategists, discussing topics from content creation to distribution.  Learn why video may be your best messaging tool in our growing visual marketplace.

Click here for webinar info

Click here for AFTA membership info

We see it time and again.  A great video, hosted on the brand new YouTube channel of a business or organization.  It’s clear that a lot of time/thought/money went into creating the video.  (Good intern!)  However, many other elements concerning the video posting haven’t been considered.  (Bad intern.)  This pains us greatly.  (And we are, of course, kidding in our title when we blame it on the intern.)

But seriously, for the most part, folks are wasting their YouTube video posting efforts by not following very basic (and free!) best practices.  Instead of spending 2 minutes to publish a YouTube video, spend the 10 minutes it takes to do it correctly.  Your video message will reach more people with a higher impact.  End of story.  Here are the 6 “fails” we most often see.

1) No active links in the video description field

Make sure to include the full web address of your business or organization in the video description.  It will automatically turn into a hyperlink and connect the person viewing your video to your website in one click.

2) No branding or poor branding

YouTube videos can be shared and embedded on many platforms.  If your video is taken out of the context of your own channel, does it still have your brand connected to it?  It should!  At the very least, make sure branding exists in the video description and, if needed, in the title itself.

3) No call to action

What do you want people do after they watch your awesome online video?  Visit your webpage?  Make an appointment?  Send an email to enter a contest?  Share the video on social media?  Make sure to include one clear “call to action” in the video description.

4) Titles, descriptions and tags that have not been carefully considered

VSEO stands for Video Search Engine Optimization.  YouTube is currently the #2 search engine in the world (Google is #1) and YouTube provides many tools to help your video get discovered via search.  VSEO basics include using relevant keywords in your video title, description and tags.  Take a moment to think critically about what keywords could represent your video.  And remember, the title you created internally for the piece is often not effective in terms of keywords and VSEO.

5) No chapter markers on a long video

Don’t necessarily believe what you hear about people not being willing to watch a video of more than 60 seconds.  That’s not always true, especially if the video is compelling and the topic is of interest to the viewer. However, people online DO want the ability to get to specific points in the content quickly.  If your video is longer than 60 seconds use chapter markers in your description to create short cuts for viewers.  For example, if you have a video of a ribbon cutting event with different introductory speakers, include the time codes when each new speaker is seen in the video.  YouTube makes this really easy.  Simply type the timecode “1:30″ into the description and a marker is created at 1 minute and 30 seconds into the video.  A viewer can then read your video description, see the highlighted 1:30 and click on it – it will take them to that part of the video immediately.

6) Boring or unflattering thumbnails (don’t rely on defaults!)

Generally you are given 3 options for the thumbnail image that will represent your video.  Choose wisely.  The one that YouTube defaults to might not always be the best one.  Pick an image that is engaging and entices the viewer to watch your video.

The Hartford Business Journal 2011 CT Meetings and Events Guide has just been published, both in print and via digital brochure (also referred to as an e-brochure).  We find that many organizations we work with are using digital brochures for their online publications and we’re all for it – as incorporating video messages into those brochures is a natural extension of traditional marketing.

Miceli Productions HD was chosen by Event Resources Inc., the signature sponsor of Hartford Business Journal‘s 2011 CT Meetings and Events Guide, to produce an original web commercial showcasing Event Resources’ worry free approach to event management.  It’s an excellent example of incorporating online video into a digital brochure (if we don’t say so ourselves).

Working closely with Event Resources Inc. President, Arnold Berman, and Client Relationship Manager, Carol Frances, we created a minute long personalized and branded message targeted to CT businesses.  To view the web commercial and the digital brochure CLICK HERE.

Other noteworthy examples of digital brochures include:

Hartford Stage‘s STAGE NOTES: April 2011 Edition: The 39 Steps using digital brochure service UniFlip.com.

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival’s 2011 Season Brochure using digital brochure service Issuu.com.

MP: Hello.

QRC: Hello!

MP: What’s your name?

QRC: My full name is Quick Response Code but people often refer to me as QR-Code or QRC.

MP: Why am I seeing you all over the place these days? Best Buy, Macy’s, Calvin Klein, Miceli Productions HD services brochures, you really get around!

QRC: Well, businesses are looking for ways to connect the “real world” to the digital world.  And more and more people are using smart devices every day.  I’m a business tool that’s consumer friendly, convenient, fast, and universal across devices.  (I’m also a little I’m fun and mysterious, no?)

MP: Consumer friendly? Are you sure?  You look a little complicated to me.

QRC: Not at all.  There are just a few simple steps to “unlock” me.  In fact, if you have a smart device and are connected to a wireless network you can test me out right now using my graphic in the top corner.

• Open a ‘barcode scanner’ application.  If you don’t have one, search in your app store for “scanner”.  Most scanner apps are free and can be used on all us QRCs.
• Point your phone’s camera at me and scan.
• The web address hidden inside my code will automatically launch in the internet browser of your smart device!

MP: How much do you cost?

QRC: I’m FREE!  A great place to quickly create others like me is Kaywa.com.  It only takes a minute.

MP: Good to know QRC!  At Miceli Productions HD we’re all about video.  Can you share some of the creative ways people are using you to connect to video?

QRC: Gladly. Earlier you mentioned seeing me at Macy’s.  One of their recent glossy magazine print ads for spring scarves used me to connect to a fashion video of 7 different trendy ways scarfs are being worn this season.  Someone flipping through the magazine can see the product live, in action right there on their phone.  Calvin Klein used me to connect their billboard campaigns to an exclusively mobile (and uncensored) version of their commercials running on TV.  The entire billboard was a giant red QR-Code!  But I can be used very simply as well.  For example Miceli Productions HD prints me on their brochures. When a potential client scans me, I take them directly to the Miceli Productions updated video portfolio.

MP:  Thanks for taking the time for this brief interview.  Do you have anything else to add?

QRC: iPad 2 just came out with a camera as part of the device.  So I think you’ll be seeing even more of me.  Happy scanning!

Miceli Productions HD recently produced digital signage for the Madison, CT based advertising firm Seal Creatives.  Seal’s client, The Carabetta Organization, wanted to showcase their unique real estate properties on HD monitors in their corporate lobby and update their signage as new properties are acquired.

Working together with Seal Creatives, we created a loop of visuals that were informative and high quality using subtle movement to draw the viewer in, while still maintaining a calm and professional atmosphere in the public lobby space.  The music was produced by Seal Music Productions, a division of their marketing firm, and was designed to subtly communicate the different personalities of the real estate communities represented, while also signaling new information when the music shifted energy.  Personal message interludes were included to speak directly to Carabetta patrons and thank them for their interest and their visit to the Carabetta offices.

And now, for part that we geek out over as technology creatives!  You know how we say over and over at Miceli Productions HD we are “end to end” producers of media and media solutions?

Carabetta’s digital signage loop can be easily updated as needed through the unique setup of media files for playback, rather than a DVD on repeat that would require producing a new DVD with every update – an elegant and sustainable solution for a business requiring ongoing flexibility in their digital signage. Watch the 3:30 abbreviated excerpt of the digital signage loop and imagine the visuals framed by a beautiful 46″ HD monitor, hanging on the lobby wall.

To see more examples of digital signage created by Miceli Productions click here.

Reminder: You always have the option to watch the videos on our blog in HD quality, just click the up arrow next to 360p in the media player to select HD resolution.

Leading email newsletter services are going out of their way to make it even easier to incorporate video into email campaigns. How far away are we from embedding a live streaming video in an email invitation? It’s just around the corner. But for now, Constant Contact and MailChimp are leading the way with new video-friendly email marketing features.

Constant Contact is using their new “video link” feature to add YouTube, Vimeo or Blip.tv video links.  To be clear: you are not embedding the video into the email, but rather quickly pulling in a video thumbnail, selecting what size you want it to appear and including the link to the video – all in one step. Previous to this new feature, you would need to create an image to represent your video, import it into the media library, import it into your email template and then link the image to the video URL. What a hassle! These new tools are great new short cuts. Your readers will see a recognizable image of a video and know to click it to play, no significant change for them – but a significant time saver for those wanting to include video in email campaigns.

MailChimp offers a similar feature, but by a different name. Using MailChimp’s “merge tag” tool you can seamlessly incorporate video screenshots and links to hosted video.  According to MailChimp, “Email clients don’t allow you to embed video, we make it easy for you to fake it with videos from YouTube, Vimeo and Blip.tv.”

PatronMail, EmmaMail, and Vertical Response are other popular email marketing services that don’t currently offer this video link short-cut feature; however all three see the value of video in email and are actively educating their customers on how to use video effectively in email campaigns (see Vertical Response blog post Five Tips For Using Video in Email.)

As video continues it trajectory as the leading online media communication tool, we predict there will be more new features and tools to integrate video easily into email. One of our most successful email campaigns using video was the invitation for our 8th Anniversary Open House Event. Miceli Insiders received an email invitation that included a 3D Timeline Video showcasing our 8 years of growth as a production company. The response to the invite was very positive, the attendance for our open house was close to capacity, and the video gave folks something interesting to talk about, generating buzz before and after our event.

Image: Blue Sky Factory

Often it seems like people in the world of professional video speak a totally different language that relies heavily on slang for technical and creative concepts. Guilty as charged!  As media professionals we do in fact have a unique vocabulary to what we do.  A basic understanding of video terms helps business owners be informed consumers when contracting video services and be informed collaborators on a custom video project.

Part 1 of this series, (A – D) can be viewed HERE

Exposure: The quantity of light reaching the video. Even with a professional quality camera, footage can be underexposed or overexposed by the camera operator.  There are limited options to make under- or over- exposed footage better in the editing process.  It is crucial for a camera operator to have experience with maintaining optimal exposure in a variety of environments of light (dark theaters, bright daylight, concert lighting, etc.).

Fade: A transitional effect consisting of a gradual change in the intensity of an image or sound, such as from a normally lit scene to darkness (fade out, fade-to-black) or vice versa, from complete black to full exposure (fade in), or from silence to sound or vice versa; a ‘fade in’ is often at the beginning of a sequence, and a ‘fade out’ at the end of a sequence. You might see this term used in storyboarding.

Green Screen: A bright green fabric that is hung behind the action being recorded on camera. The green background allows an editor to insert a particular background or create special effects.  Busy business owners who are the voice and face of their business often don’t have time to commit to long video shoots on location; green screen can therefore be a great solution for this, allowing different locations to be put in after the fact.

High Definition or HD: Video footage shot in a high-definition format, which means that the frame size is larger than SD (standard definition), and each frame holds much more digital information. As a result, picture quality and file sizes are much higher than SD video. High def is a general term that can describe different frame sizes, so it’s important to understand that some HD video can be higher-definition than other HD video. Generally, HD video is of excellent quality and looks great no matter where it’s shown – on the web, on a dvd, or projected on a screen. In today’s world, HD video has become a production standard. (Miceli Productions has more than 5 years experience working in HD, we committed to the format as soon as it emerged).

Interactive: The back-and-forth dialog between the user and the computer. Games are always interactive, and most computer applications are interactive.  More and more web commercials these days are interactive (commercials on Hulu.com are a great example) and YouTube videos with action overlays can be interactive. Click here to see Lombardi on Broadway example of interactive commercial.

JPEG: A still image file format developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (no joke) that can compress photographic images into much smaller file sizes while sacrificing only a little image quality.  A cross platform-friendly file format useful if you are providing images for a custom video project or want image files pulled from a video project to use in email, web applications or print.

Sure, technically you can edit any music into your video project and upload it to YouTube, but you run the risk of being flagged for copyright infringement, having music ads run on top of your video, or your video being pulled down. Not to mention it’s unprofessional and bad karma.

Choosing to work with a video professional means both original video and original audio are created to share your media message. At Miceli Productions HD we believe that music piracy sends an unprofessional message to your customers and clients. We work creatively with Royalty Free Music libraries (such as Smart Sounds, our favorite) and composers to create protected custom audio and music for you. Sound good? (Arrrgh!)

Click here to view a documentary film produced by Miceli Productions with music from composer Daniel Bernard Roumain

Click here to view our demo reel with royalty free background music from Smart Sounds

Image: Courtesy Open Clip Art Library

Miceli Productions HD recorded original HD footage with three cast members of Hartford Stage Company’s production of Snow Falling on Cedars to communicate the intense story of this stage adaption of David Guterson’s #1 best selling novel. In this 30 second TV spot, we asked the actors to experience the range of intense emotions their characters feel as the story of Kabu Miyamoto’s trial unfolds in an isolated Puget Sound community.

Media elements include original HD footage from a dedicated on-location shoot and composites of that footage with background plates from the play’s scenic designer Takeshi Kata.

SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS playing at Hartford Stage January 13 – February 13, 2011.
From the best-selling novel by David Guterson
Adapted for the stage by Kevin McKeon
First produced at Book-It Repertory Theatre
Directed by Jeremy B. Cohen
Scenic Design by Takeshi Kata
Costume Design by Jess Goldstein
Lighting Design by Joel Moritz
Original Music & Sound Design by Broken Cord Collective

Cast: Kimiye Corwin, Sean Cullen, Bill Doyle, Dashiell Eaves, Ted Koch, Kate Levy, Tom Mardirosian, Ron Nakahara, Mia Tagano, Brian Tee, Mark Watson, and Alexandra Hoffman Beechko.

Burn a DVD?  Rip a DVD?  Dupe a DVD?  What’s the dif?  Often it seems like people in the world of video speak a totally different language and have 3 different words for what appears to be the same concept.

As media professionals we do in fact have a unique vocabulary to what we do.  Having a basic understanding of video vocab helps business owners be informed consumers when looking to purchase a service or a product.

Your mini video-vocab lesson begins with A, B, C…and D for Donut.

A roll: An old film term meaning the content structure of the piece, voice track and sound bites.

B roll: Supplemental or alternate footage intercut with the main shot in an interview or documentary. Most often B roll footage is what is submitted with a media press release.

Bug: A digital on-screen graphic or logo that many TV broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen to identify the channel.  This term has migrated online and is now commonly used for businesses and organizations who use a bug of their logo or website to brand their online videos.

Burn: To record data on a CD or DVD.

Compositing: Combining visual elements from separate sources into single images creating the effect that all those elements are parts of the same scene. For a strong visual example and concept of compositing from our In The Studio web videos series CLICK HERE

Compress: To change the file size of a video, to reduce the amount of data storage space necessary.  Most often used when putting video online.

Donut: Pre-recorded commercial with a blank time span in the center into which a special advertising message may be inserted.

Dupe: To duplicate a DVD that has data written on it.  Typically it takes more time to burn a DVD than to duplicate one that is already burned.  There is no difference between a duplicate and an original in terms of quality.

Stay tuned for E – Z.